“Might make sense for the average family to stuff away $12k for deductibles and go with a catastrophic policy.”
Aren’t those illegal now?
If you’re referring to HSAs, no. But not all plans support HSAs.
My point concerned getting a cheap, legitimate catastrophic plan for the family, but be prepared to pay for the plan’s absolute deductible (which in my example is $12k/year.)
I’d definitely go with the catastrophic plan if I had the cash. But availability of catastrophic plans might depend on the state and insurer.